


Kairos' kiss

by eusuchia



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: + a thorough dick-down, Alien Biology, Alien Sex, Fingering, M/M, One Night Stand, Oral Sex, PWP, Size Difference, and missed connection, fingering what you ask? a mystery you shall have to read to uncover, switchy dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:56:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28891737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eusuchia/pseuds/eusuchia
Summary: During the Earth-Minbari War, before being sent on a perilous mission to the Epsilon System, a young Stephen Franklin contemplates what might be his last night on Earth. Luckily, the chatty Narn attached to the mission seems to want to preoccupy him with other things.
Relationships: Stephen Franklin/G'Kar
Comments: 16
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It occurred to me while working on BREAKWATER that it'd be funny if Stephen and G'Kar had actually hooked up ten years pre-B5 during _In the Beginning_. It didn't make sense for my version of events but I still thought it would be fun to write, so here is a very horny, slightly contemplative standalone piece about it, enjoy~

There was no way in hell Stephen was going to get any sleep. He threw his bag down at the foot of the bed, took one look at it, and turned around and left the room. Even knowing that it might be the last bed he ever saw, he’d rather take some fresh air than just lay there staring up at the ceiling. There were still a few hours to kill before the Narn cruiser came into orbit - maybe after stretching his legs he’d feel more like a rest. If not, he could at least come back for a hot shower.

The accommodations were pretty plush. Plusher than the Force had wanted to give him, he was sure, and intended more for impressing the diplomats and politicians that passed through than the captive seditionists. But, all the same, the hotel was close to the port, and barracks in the Dome were full up. In the long, empty hallway, he scuffed his feet along the carpets on his way to the elevator, ruffling the filigree in drab mauve and olives. It was dead quiet, only a couple other lonely souls in the over-sized, over-lit lobby, real but sad-looking potted plants drooping slightly around the perimeter of the room. The doors to the restaurant were closed, a small display blinking out the opening hours for tomorrow's breakfast service. He could see through the windows that it was raining, but the lobby was kept well insulated from the sound. 

The stillness provided a strange external contrast to the low, constant buzz inside his head. Too many things to think about. So he thought about nothing.

The main doors slid open to allow him outside onto the veranda that offered a modest shelter from the rain, and he gave a sarcastic salute to the security detail that eyed him from just inside. He wasn’t really going anywhere, and they knew it too. Against his inner ankle was embedded a slim monitoring device keeping him firmly rooted to the premises on threat of a disabling electric shock - _perfectly safe_ , the guard had assured him with a dry smile as he’d been escorted out of his holding cell. While Stephen didn’t especially care to go on a life-threatening mission to Sector 919, he didn’t have much in the way of options, anyway.

He liked passing through Geneva, usually. Beautiful scenery, lots of people - sometimes aliens - and lots of ships to watch, on a clear day. The Nyon spaceport hotel, on the other hand, was on the outskirts of the nearby town and some tens of kilometers from Geneva itself, the only nearby amenities a single cafe-slash-diner and the adjoining alien-friendly public restroom. It was the quintessential port hotel, just a little gilded, and seated in above-average scenery. Still, as he stood on the veranda and looked down into the lake valley, the cool night air filled his lungs with the smell of mud and rain and trees. Earth, under his feet. He’d only been back four months.

He walked around to the side of the hotel, finding a convenient railing to lean against broodily, without getting splattered by the wet. Geneva twinkled in the distance, the Dome arcing in crisp lines, glimmering against the distant shapes of dark mountains, silhouettes softened by the rain. He sighed. It was beautiful. It was Earth. It was what he’d come racing back to Sol System for, to defend this place in whatever little way he could. But it wasn’t really home. He wished he could have visited Chicago while he was planetside. Next time, if there ever was going to be a next time.

“It hardly ever rains like this where I’m from.”

Stephen startled at the sound of the voice right beside him, slipping a little as he pushed himself off the railing to stand up. “I- oh, um. G’Kar, right?”

The tall Narn looked down at him with a smile, very like the one he’d used to greet Stephen when they met in General Lefcourt’s office earlier that day. He seemed to be always smiling with both rows of sharp teeth, in a disingenuous kind of way. He was some kind of politician, wasn’t he? Or a salesman. Maybe some things just transcended species. “Dr. Franklin, if I’m not mistaken…?”

“No. I mean, no, you’re not mistaken.” He thought about offering a handshake - but that didn’t always go so well with aliens. Then again, G’Kar spoke clear, nearly unaccented English. Surely he knew a thing or two about Human customs. He put out a hand. G’Kar accepted graciously, shaking with a perfectly measured firmness. His gloves had sharp studs embedded in the knuckles. “So… what is it then, you can’t sleep either?”

“Not quite,” G’Kar said, turning back to gaze out toward Geneva with Stephen. “I take any opportunity I can to enjoy such sights. I am perhaps less inclined to waste away a night in deep slumber than you.”

“Narns do sleep,” Stephen said skeptically. _I’m pretty sure they sleep._

“Twice a day, in fact. Midnight and midday. One of those pesky habits of the desert-dwelling.” 

“Ah. Right. There are a lot of Earth species that are more active at dusk and dawn,” he began, and immediately cursed himself silently. He’d gotten himself in trouble more than once, reaching for analogy and ending up comparing a sapient species with some little critter from Earth. “Sorry, I mean-”

“No need. You are correct, after all.” G’Kar smiled generously. He must be used to dealing with worse blunders. “The transitory times of day are a little more exciting, aren’t they? But nighttime offers its own sort of discrete potential,” he said with a sideways glance at Stephen. Stephen blinked, and G’Kar took out a small tin from an inner pocket of his long, leather coat. He took a piece of something into his mouth, holding it in his teeth. He offered the tin to Stephen. 

“I- no thanks, I think.”

G’Kar pushed the mouthful into his cheek so that he could speak. “Kh’khol,” he said by way of explanation. “It’s been likened to tobacco. Less stimulating for you, I believe. And rather less acrid, in my opinion.”

Stephen frowned curiously. Well, he was nothing if not up for an interesting little tidbit here and there. He pinched up what turned out to be a small, compressed cylinder of dried leaves, sniffing it lightly. It did smell pleasantly herbal. He put it on his tongue, pressing it against the roof of his mouth. “It will unravel as it moistens,” G’Kar advised, as he began to chew his own piece thoughtfully. “Quite edible,” he added, seeming to sense this was pertinent. Maybe an unthinking Human diplomat had once caused an incident by spitting out what they thought was the remainder.

A citrusy sweetness began to dissolve onto Stephen’s tongue along with the more woody flavour. The taste was mild but refreshing, and as it softened, he found a not unpleasantly chewy texture. The small individual leaves were thicker than he expected, and a little fibrous - a desert adaptation, he presumed, for retaining water. He looked out at the rain, blotting out the far ranges of the mountains that would normally be visible at this distance. “Does it snow where you’re from?”

“G’Khamazad? No, never. We have polar ice down on the south of the continent. A floating ice cap in the north. But I’ve never strayed far from the equator, myself.” He sighed, leaning forward and holding out a hand experimentally under the rain. “Over the last few years I’ve spent more time offworld than exploring my own.”

“Me too.”

“Ah,” G’Kar turned to him, apparently pleased to find an opening. “Indeed? I heard tell that you had been away before your war with the Minbari began.”

“Yeah, I was off traveling. Hitchhiking around with anyone who’d take me on as a medic. Just trying to see as much as I could in the time I had, and I would’ve stayed gone longer if I could have. I was just on Shir-shraba before I came back.”

“And how did you find the Hyach?”

“Honestly, more than a little standoffish,” he said with a shrug. “The areas they have for visitors on Shir-shraba are pretty confined. Closely monitored. Not exactly the way I prefer to travel, when I’ve got the choice. But it’s fair enough, I suppose; not everyone is going to be comfortable with aliens coming and tracking mud all over the nice temple floors,” he said wryly.

“And you?”

“Me?” 

G’Kar chewed his kh’khol slowly, looking down at him with a gleam in his eyes, an unlikely bright red in the darkness of night. “How do you feel about aliens coming and tracking mud all over your capital city?”

Stephen scoffed. “The Dome? Never felt that attached to it, really. Feel free.” He waved a hand toward it. “All of Geneva, for that matter. You probably belong there as much as I ever did.”

G’Kar tilted his head curiously. Maybe he found Stephen’s indifference uncouth. He’d heard Narns were, on the whole, much attached to their government. The product of wartime unity and all that. Good for them, he supposed. “Well then,” G’Kar said after a moment. “Not so closeminded as some of your peers.” He smiled, a little more warmly. Stephen matched it.

“You’ve mostly met people from the Force, haven’t you? Humans aren’t all like that.” The rain was letting up. He leaned forward on the railing, tilting his head up toward the sky with his eyes closed, letting the wind blow a few cold droplets onto his face. “Some of us want to learn from other species more than we want to wave our guns at them.”

“Actually, I’ve enjoyed the company of a few Humans I found altogether _keen_ to learn.”

Stephen paused. Now _that_ … unless he was really imagining things…

He turned around. He wiped the rain from his face, hoping his eyes weren’t too wide. “Is that so?”

G’Kar chewed, looking at Stephen contemplatively. Maybe a little more than contemplative. More like the way one contemplated dinner. Or an after-dinner treat. Stephen found himself holding his breath. “Oh, yes,” G’Kar said slowly. “Human visitors to Narn, for the most part, seem to be of a certain adventuresome sort.”

“I’ve… never been to Narn,” Stephen said, rather stupidly. 

“Well, should you ever take up your travels again, I’m certain we’d be happy to host someone of your particular expertise,” G’Kar said smoothly. “I imagine you would be... studious. You are a xenobiologist, after all…?”

Stephen felt his tongue dart out against his lips, covered in herbal sweetness. His eyes had wandered to G’Kar’s hands, large and clawed, under those gloves. He felt a shiver up his spine, from more than the cold. Part of his mind was scanning uselessly through a mental repository of anatomical information, trying to remember what he could about Narns. Were they _compatible?_ If G’Kar was suggesting what Stephen thought he was suggesting, he certainly seemed to think so. And if he had the experience he claimed, well… that made things easier, didn’t it?

“I’ll keep it in mind.” He wiped his face again, drying it on his sleeve. Stephen felt his mouth going dry, the small wad of kh’khol now sitting rather awkwardly against his cheek. He watched as G’Kar swallowed his, all too deliberately. _Get it together, Stephen._ A nervous smile cracked across his lips. “So what about Narn visitors to Earth? A little adventuresome, yourself?”

“I have been so accused. Once or twice."

Stephen laughed. He had a brief second thought, but he swallowed the mouthful of leaves. “I guess it’s good to find a like mind. Unless you’re so generous with everyone you meet here.”

G’Kar stepped a little closer. Close enough for Stephen to detect the scent of some kind of incense clinging to the leather of his coat. More than close enough for his appreciable height and build to verge onto the exciting side of imposing, making Stephen have to tilt his head back to keep his gaze. “Oh, I am at least a little discerning. For instance, your comrade here, Commander Sheridan-”

“He’s not my-” Stephen snorted, just thinking about it. Just another trigger-happy jarhead. “We’re not _comrades_. I’ve only known him as long as you have.”

G’Kar chuckled, a low sound that sank directly to the bottom of Stephen’s chest. “Well, in any case, he doesn’t strike me as the amenable type.”

“Amenable… to aliens, you mean.”

“To men,” G’Kar said plainly, and Stephen barked out a laugh. An alien with gaydar - well, why not? “Or those he considers men, I suppose.”

“You might be surprised what they get up to in the navy. But, ah. As far as Sheridan goes,” Stephen scratched the back of his head thinkingly. “You probably have the right idea.”

“Am I also right in finding something of a contrast in you, Dr. Franklin?”

Stephen looked up at him, the tall, handsome Narn who had strolled up to proposition him on a rainy night in the Swiss Alps. It was all a little ludicrous. He could say no; he was being given the opportunity to say no. He could go back to his room alone, and he could sit there waiting to be collected and shipped off as a scout for some mission that could so easily go wrong. He could miss the chance to do something nearly as ill-considered as it was exciting, on what might be his last night on Earth.

 _Well, what the hell,_ he thought.

“I’d say so.”

“Hmm,” G’Kar purred, and he set a hand on Stephen’s shoulder that sent warmth buzzing through him. “How pleasing it is to be right, sometimes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> has he... you know..... been to narn?


	2. Chapter 2

They went to G’Kar’s room. It was bigger and more furnished than Stephen’s - of the two of them, he was the invited guest of Earth, after all. They left their boots at the door and Stephen peeled off his jacket unceremoniously, draping it over the back of the chair closer to the radiator before rolling up his sleeves to keep the damp off his wrists.

“A drink, doctor?”

“Please. And- it’s just Stephen.”

There was a surprisingly classy bar cabinet in the corner of the room - thank the Swiss, he supposed - and from it G’Kar pulled a few bottles seemingly at random, setting them on the table. “Well, Stephen - I believe your government will be picking up the cost, so choose as you like, but I’m afraid I will have to rely on your advice here.”

“Oh, um… what do you like?”

“I have something of a sweet tooth, by your standards.”

“Hah, really? Well, they do like their brandy here.” 

He sat down in the chair as G’Kar retrieved two glasses, inspecting the bottles and making his selection. He poured pear brandy for G’Kar, and a couple fingers of the priciest-looking scotch for himself. He didn’t particularly like scotch, but G’Kar was right, after all - this was going on an Earth Alliance tab. He sipped, and disguised a wince. He’d never really developed a sophisticated taste for peat. He drank it down anyway, feeling it burn pleasantly on its way down. 

G’Kar sat down across from him, and in the better light of the hotel room, Stephen could properly take in his features. He looked older than Stephen, although with Narns he wasn’t sure exactly sure how you were supposed to tell - the deep creases around his mouth might well have been there since his teen years. In any case, it wasn’t much of a stretch to find his profile strikingly handsome: a strong nose, cheeks, and jaw, and deep crescented sockets around sharp red eyes - eyes now somewhat subdued, as G’Kar took an experimental sip of his brandy and nodded approvingly. They sat in silence for a moment, each warming up with their drinks, and Stephen chuckled to himself.

“Hm?”

“Ah, just, you know. End of the world stuff. And I’m sipping drinks in a hotel room with a Narn… what are you exactly? A diplomat?”

“A diplomat, an arms dealer, a shrewd contact who happens to have other shrewd contacts - I am whatever Earth Alliance needs me to be.” He took off his gloves, exposing the spotted hands beneath, which he spread out in a shrug. “I live to serve.”

“The Kha’Ri, I’m sure.” Stephen tilted his head skeptically. “Alliance, I doubt somehow.”

G’Kar spread a hand against his chest, a definite ‘who, me?’ gesture that made Stephen laugh. “I’m not the one being threatened with court-martial.”

“You heard about that?”

“Only in passing. When I inquired, I was told not to worry- that you were not entirely unreliable.” G’Kar eyed Stephen over the rim of his glass.

“Uh-huh. Glad for the vote of confidence. They’re probably going to give me the boot if I make it back in one piece anyway. I mean, they would’ve already-” if not for _General_ Franklin. Stephen bit his tongue, as it occurred to him that there might be something imprudent about talking about one’s father while hooking up with an older man. “If not for the whole. Genocide-threatening war and all,” he said stiffly. He drank, refilled his glass, and drank a little more.

“And yet you volunteered for service on a mission such as this.”

“It was either this, or sit in my cell until the Minbari come to vaporize us.”

“Is that the end you expect?”

“If this plays out?” He swirled his glass. “As much as I’d like to believe otherwise, yes. Definitely. Commander Sheridan’s destroyed one of their cruisers. A flagship, they said. Maybe he feels like they’re not so invincible. Like we’ve got a fighting chance. But I’ve seen the wrecks they leave behind. No work at all for a field doctor,” he smiled grimly.

“Perhaps he simply sets his aim on a valiant death.”

“Yeah. His type tends to. He’s probably down the hall making himself sick thinking about surrendering.”

“And you?”

Stephen shrugged. “I don’t think they’re interested in domineering us, turning us into a colony or anything like that. It’s extinction or nothing. With those odds, I’d surrender, if they’d listen.”

“Given our assignment, it seems that they’re interested in listening.”

“Or it’s a trap and we get blown to hell,” he said sourly.

“Well, I thought I might offer a distraction from either possibility,” G’Kar suggested. Stephen sat up straighter, remembering why he was here, and about to smack himself in the forehead for doing a spectacular job of killing the mood.

“Right. I mean, you’re right. I am a little preoccupied.” He smiled vaguely into his glass, taking another drink for want of something to do with his hands. “So, ah. Do you… do this often?”

G’Kar tilted his head with amusement. “When the opportunity presents itself.”

“Seems rather like you make the opportunities present themselves.”

“It’s an art. A fine balance of pursuance and patience.” G’Kar grinned, finishing his drink. “And you? Do you do this often?”

Stephen snorted. “If you heard half the things they said about the xeno department back in school you’d probably assume so. But… I haven’t exactly made it a habit.”

“You might start.”

“Hah. You have that effect on people, is that it?”

“I don’t mean to boast…”

Stephen laughed incredulously, with a shake of his head. His face was already getting warm. “Alright, come on then.” He left the remaining scotch and stood up, and G’Kar rose to meet him. He meant to say something else - a few witty flirtations still percolating in his mind - but G’Kar embraced him without a moment’s hesitation, one hand cupping his face and another taking him by the waist. Stephen didn’t have time to close his eyes before G’Kar was kissing him, his lips rough and intent. His own hands were caught awkwardly between their chests, his palms resting on the metal breastplate. Stephen gasped as he felt teeth tug at his lower lip accompanied by a confident arm wrapping around his lower back, scooping him upward. 

Did Narns kiss? Well this one certainly did, and he came on strong. It wasn’t a bad thing. G’Kar was right: It was hard to think about other things with claws sliding up the back of his neck.

G’Kar pushed him up against the wall, his kiss full of sharp edges. Stephen’s head bumped against the dime-a-dozen landscape print hanging in its frame, but he was more flustered by the knee being wedged firmly between his thighs. G’Kar rested one arm on the wall above his head, while the other still held his waist, boxing him in tightly. When G’Kar pulled away, he was grinning, looking appraisingly down at Stephen. He was being tested. Well, good thing Stephen tested well.

Stephen kissed back, letting his hands move under the long coat, feeling out the textures of brushed metal and burnished leather beneath as he licked into G’Kar’s mouth, slipping between his lips. He leaned forward, letting his groin rut up against G’Kar’s thigh, and bit down on the lip that caught between his, earning himself a playful, rumbling growl that seemed to emanate from the deep chest pressed against his. He reached up and felt the skin of G’Kar’s face under his hands - rough, too, textured more in one direction than the other. _Denticles_ , he reminded himself. Like a shark. Like those teeth, _the ones you’re sticking your tongue between_ \- he groaned as G’Kar sucked his tongue into his mouth, tasting the sweetness of kh’khol and brandy mingling together between the sharp points. He felt out the shape of G’Kar’s head, the lobed skull curving comfortably in his palm. His fingertips brushed the protective spines on the back of G’Kar’s head, not as sharp or hard as they looked, and a faraway part of his mind began to wonder if they served a purpose other than pure defensiveness- _later, think about it later._

He wrestled the jacket from G’Kar’s shoulders, pushing it to the floor behind him and fumbling blindly with the ornamented chest piece G’Kar had on underneath. G’Kar pulled away and chuckled, showing him the clasps beneath his left shoulder before lifting the whole piece off himself and setting it on the table with a dull thud. He revealed a tunic that was open to the sternum, a long column of cartilaginous bumps leading Stephen’s eye down.

“You’ll have to assist me here,” G’Kar interrupted his ogling, sneaking a claw into Stephen’s shirt at the hollow of his throat and making him tense reflexively. 

Stephen blinked, and looked down. He chuckled, looking at the relatively thin fabric of his shirt against G’Kar’s thick, single-jointed fingers. “Buttons?”

“I assume you would prefer I not simply tear them off.” 

“Mm- tempting, but I only have one spare shirt.” He quickly unbuttoned the shirt and tossed it onto the chair, shedding his undershirt while he was at it. G’Kar made a sound, a definite, purring sound, as he lowered his head to Stephen’s neck. He nipped gently at his ear, then just below it, the sharpness producing a jolt that went directly to Stephen’s extremities. “You can… um, a little harder, if you like.” G’Kar chuckled, obliging him with a more forceful bite against the muscle of his neck that made his toes curl hard in his socks and lured out a low moan. Stephen was, all of a sudden, grateful for the tight collar of the Earthforce uniform, which tomorrow would have to cover a number of sins. 

His hands roamed restlessly over G’Kar’s body, feeling out the shape of him beneath the tunic. He looked different without his coat and armour, but no less sturdy - just more compact density than sheer bulk. G’Kar was cool to the touch, except on the sides of his torso where he seemed to vent heat, and Stephen felt like he was burning by comparison, warm with drink and aching for more thrillingly novel friction. “Mmnh- here, on the bed-” He let G’Kar push him down, sprawling out flat on his back. 

G’Kar grimaced as he straddled Stephen’s thighs, struggling to balance himself on the too-soft hotel mattress. “How your spines survive- _this_ , I will never know,” he said disdainfully. He leaned forward, putting his weight on his arms as he kissed Stephen again, letting a heavy hand roam over his chest, the tips of his claws raking ever-so-slightly against heated skin. Stephen arched eagerly into the touch - not especially dignified, but he wasn’t in an especially dignified mood. G'Kar was keen to taste him, running his tongue and teeth against his throat hungrily, and he responded with an encouraging growl when Stephen returned the gesture, sinking his teeth down into tough skin. A deeply compelling, earthy scent clung to G’Kar’s skin, all musky incense and leather under his tongue. They bit and kissed and sucked, and a part of Stephen wanted to laugh, something about it was so unabashedly _teenage_ , but the more considerable part of him was far too preoccupied to start feeling self-conscious.

The palms of G’Kar’s hands were smoother, more like suede, and he pressed just enough to suggest force, keeping Stephen in place as he rose to stare down at him, a blood red gaze that trailed lasciviously down his torso. Not to be outdone, Stephen reached down for the tie around G’Kar’s waist, tugging it loose and letting the two sides of the tunic drape down on either side of them, and he took an appreciative and only somewhat doctorly eyeful.

G’Kar’s spots were largest and darkest at his shoulders, the pattern lightening toward his belly and under his arms. Below the knobbly cartilage down his front was a small horizontal seam - the opening of his pouch, currently laying flat and unoccupied against his abdomen. Stephen wondered if it was sensitive, inside, or even around, but- he’d only go where he was invited. Venturing into what he imagined was safer territory, Stephen slid his hands under the tunic, parting it slightly and feeling over the hard lines of muscle, a strong triangular shape that began at each shoulder and converged beneath the thick cartilage of his sternum. He felt further back toward the hot skin that covered his rib-plates, barely perceptible as a slight ladder of ridges extending down his flank, and all of a sudden G’Kar jerked away.

“Sorry, was that- are you ticklish? Thermoregulatory skin, I suppose, it must be thin…”

“Indeed.” G’Kar’s lips twisted. “Just… don’t touch there.”

He nodded, biting back a smile as G’Kar sat up and removed his tunic, revealing his broad chest covered in spots and a few large scars. Stephen licked his lips before he could help himself. One of the older marks was clearly the poorly-treated burn of a plasma weapon, smearing off-colour scar tissue all across his right chest through the otherwise glossy black spots. Another few looked like knife wounds or - Stephen swallowed tensely - claw marks, from a pair that matched the one now grasping firmly around his hips.

He looked down to see G’Kar’s strong, well-muscled hands very nearly encircling his waist, each of his polished, knife-like claws about half the length of Stephen’s fingers. He felt so _small_ , almost delicate in comparison, and it was good he was already lying down, because he felt all his blood rushing senselessly to his groin. He let out a breathless sound, biting down on his lip and averting his eyes to the ceiling to compose himself.

“Stephen…?”

“I’m fine. I, uh. You’re…” He found G’Kar smirking as he thumbed a claw carefully over the hard edge of Stephen’s hip, and he shuddered. “Um. On the right track.”

G’Kar growled, backing up to kneel on the floor and hauling Stephen along with him with a single, confident gesture that Stephen found _deeply_ compelling, and arousal flared behind his eyes so suddenly he covered his face as if to hold it in. It seemed so easy for G’Kar, like he could pick him up and handle him however he wanted; like Stephen, for all his - admittedly vain - athleticism would be putty in his much more… utilitarian hands. Stephen felt his feet land on the floor on either side of G’Kar, and looked down to find a pair of red eyes staring up bemusedly at him from the other side of his quite obviously tented pants. He groaned quietly.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes. Yes, I’ll stop you if I’m not. Really.” He reached down and undid his belt and zipper permissively, and G’Kar quickly freed him of the last of his clothes, exposing him to the cool air and sitting back on his heels to take a moment to look at him admiringly.

All of a sudden stark naked on top of the downy comforter, Stephen felt his heart really start to pound. A single, loose shred of lucidity in the back of his mind was doing wild flips as it tried to force him to reason with the situation, about to engage in some very unofficial liaising that was just as likely to end in diplomatic disaster as, say, his cock getting bitten off by that toothy grin flashing up at him from between his thighs or- look, one could consider it field study, surely? Oh, sure, certainly doing Harvard proud-

The feeling of teeth on his inner thigh quickly chased away the last of his sense, and he flinched as though G’Kar had jabbed one of those sharp claws directly into the sensitive skin. “Sorry," he gasped. "It’s fine- I juuuuaauugh- aah- _ah,_ do that again,” he panted, as G’Kar bit down harder, not enough to break skin, but plenty enough to send electrifying arousal coursing up Stephen’s spine and knocking him back flat, his fingernails digging hard into his palms and his toes curled into the carpet. His head was spinning with adrenaline as G’Kar inched closer, biting and sucking and scratching and squeezing along his thighs like he was going to make a meal of them. “God you- have a- a lot of teeth,” Stephen stammered, sucking in a shallow breath. _Good one, Aristotle- are you going to count them next?_

G’Kar snorted and lifted his head as his hand came to rest on Stephen’s cock, taking him into that suede-like palm. Stephen groaned with relief as he stroked down slowly. He watched in a daze as his length all but disappeared into G’Kar’s warm grip, and his jaw slackened as G’Kar worked him steadily, smiling slyly as their eyes met.

G’Kar’s free hand spread out over his abdomen as his head lowered, keeping eye contact. He slid his tongue up from base to tip, letting it drag slightly and producing a shock of frictional pleasure. He grinned as Stephen’s entire body shifted with a lust-addled, hazy moan. He lapped up the shaft a few more times before he raised himself up and parted his lips around the damp head of his cock. Stephen’s brain short-circuited, caught in the sudden panic of deciding whether to watch the captivating sight of G’Kar’s mouth sinking down onto him, or to look away in a desperate attempt to ward off the climax that was threatening to very suddenly put an end to his fun. 

His eyes settled on the half-measure of losing focus as he felt the barest touch of teeth ghosting along his shaft. G’Kar was careful, padding against his lower teeth with the flat of his tongue, opening wide and letting him slide in easily. Stephen felt a drip of anxiety mixed in with the hot, liquid pleasure, wondering if his respective inexperience would be a disappointment when it was his turn. He didn’t linger on the thought, as G’Kar pressed his tongue upward, pushing his cock against a truly obscene number of ridges that lined the roof of his mouth, well-lubricated with saliva. “A-ah, _fuck_ -!” _Christ, what are those even for, other than giving head?_

G’Kar sucked him off with quick, deft motions, the curve between thumb and forefinger snug around the base of his cock and assisting with steady strokes that threatened to completely unwind him. His rough lips, salved only by a thin layer of spit, dragged up and down on him, riding the threatening knife-edge between discomfort and intense, molten sensation. It was too much, far too much stimulating texture and touch and wetness, and he felt himself ramping up inside, heat and pressure ready to burst out of him. He felt his legs shaking with the tension that was ratcheted tight in every muscle in his body, and he ground his teeth, choking back a wanton cry. “G’Kar-” he gasped, “If you don’t stop right now I- I can’t hold on much longer-”

In answer, G’Kar took him immediately deeper into his throat, and Stephen felt himself pushing past ridged texture into a hot and constricting tightness. “Oh my god, what the- _fuck_ \- that feels so- ghhaah-” he mumbled senselessly, one hand mashed against his face and the other clenching tight around the comforter underneath him, now damp with sweat. G’Kar was relentless, spreading him wide with his hands and sinking down until his lips were nearly at his base. “I- I’m- aah-”

His spine arched helplessly as he came, stars exploding into his vision. He emptied himself down G’Kar’s utterly indecent throat, which swallowed and rolled and tightened around him, earnestly wringing the orgasm from him. He stammered out a few more curses as he bucked into his mouth and came so hard he felt cramps coming on low in his gut, and in his neck stretched and craned back. 

G’Kar kept him deep inside until he was finished, shuddering and oversensitive, and, finally having enough, he patted vaguely at G’Kar’s shoulders to get him to pull off. He groaned keenly as he felt himself slide out of the wet warmth of his mouth, and G’Kar rather politely lay his soft-swollen cock down on his abdomen before raising himself up onto his feet.

Stephen took a moment to let the blood seep back into the rest of his body. He peered up at G’Kar, now standing beside the bed. G’Kar smiled and sipped from a glass of water before offering it to him. Stephen accepted wordlessly, lifting his head just enough to drink down the rest. He set the empty glass down on the bedside table and sank back down into the bed, his limbs so heavy and boneless he could have dissolved straight through into the floor. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” he mumbled, slinging an arm across his face.

“I’m in no rush.” 

Stephen smiled faintly, laying there until he rediscovered the use of his legs. He slowly pushed himself back up onto the bed, kicking away the comforter and finding relief in the cool, clean sheets beneath. He stretched out his arms and heard the rustle of fabric, followed by a sinking of the mattress as G’Kar lay down beside him. He looked and found G’Kar laying on his side, now fully nude and looking at him expectantly. 

Stephen’s eyes wandered predictably downward, where his curiosity had been most strongly magnetized, and he couldn’t hide a smile of somewhat incredulous delight. “Oh,” he said wonderingly. He reached out before remembering to look up at G’Kar, who chuckled and nodded his consent. 

G’Kar’s cock was a little longer than his own, and a third of the way up, a bifurcation split what would be a single thick shaft into two slimmer, flexible lengths that rested apart in a slight Y-shape, tapering at each tip. They bent to Stephen’s curious touch, a slick of fluid produced at the base of the split allowing an easy motion of his hand up and down the length. He shifted closer to G’Kar, who leaned back on his elbows as Stephen stroked him, experimentally squeezing the two heads together, finding only a slight resistance. He shuddered, transfixed, his mind wandering all too quickly to what it would be like to fit them inside himself, to feel them widen him with that irresistibly smooth taper that seemed almost purpose-built, G’Kar’s strong hands flipping him over and pinning him down, pressing his face into the mattress- 

He blinked out of it, looking at G’Kar. “Is that… alright?”

“Perfectly agreeable,” G’Kar said, watching him amusedly.

Stephen squinted. “Not exactly a ringing endorsement. What could I do better?”

G’Kar took his hand and lifted it away for a moment. He parted the two heads, exposing the seam between them. “I’m a little more sensitive here.”

Stephen ran a finger lightly along the split, where the slippery-smooth fluid was collecting, and felt G’Kar shiver promisingly. “Ah. So how does this… normally work for you?”

“Inside,” G’Kar said, a little breathless as Stephen slid his index finger into the valley, rubbing gently. “There is a shape that… matches. A ridge dividing the two… canals that fits- mm. Where your finger is now.”

“Oh, of course,” Stephen nodded. He pushed himself up with his other hand, trying to get a better look. He nudged G’Kar’s knee to the side questioningly.

G’Kar spread his legs, letting Stephen kneel between them. “I hope you’re not just here to take notes,” he said wryly.

“I’ll be sure to run the monograph by you before publication.” G’Kar’s eyes narrowed, and Stephen grinned, rubbing a little more intently to interrupt his protest. “Kidding. This is a purely… leisurely interest, I assure you.” 

As G’Kar relaxed back against the bed, Stephen took the opportunity to make a few such leisurely observations, feeling around gently. The spots of G’Kar’s abdomen lightened noticeably toward his groin, a light brown compared to the black elsewhere, with the sensitive, smooth skin of his genitals almost completely unmarked and slightly reddish compared to the surrounding. His cock seemed to emerge from a concavity in the pelvis, with a sheath of thick, soft skin visible around the basest inch or so of his length - how far inside did he rest when unaroused, Stephen wondered. He hoped he’d get a good look when they were done…

 _Focus, Casanova._ Below the cock were two folds of skin, overlapping in the centre to loosely cover what he could just make out as a single opening. Stephen chewed his lip, wondering if there was something of a risk in venturing his touch. He looked up to watch for a reaction as he brought his other hand down along G’Kar’s inner thigh, testing the waters. G’Kar sighed contentedly, one hand behind his head and the other resting over his pouch.

Still stroking one finger through the seam of G’Kar’s cock, Stephen lowered his head. He pressed his lips to the side of G’Kar’s knee, working his way down along the spotted skin, a little smoother than the tough surface that guarded his more exposed parts. He nibbled gently, then a little less gently, sinking into the tender flesh close to his groin and enjoying the way G’Kar shifted with his touch, letting out a low groan. Stephen moved a little closer, drinking in the deep, musky scent whose source he was clearly approaching, until he could lap his tongue along the crease where G’Kar’s leg splayed open to the side. G’Kar growled: a low, clicking sound that differed from the more playful tones of the evening so far. _Was that… good, or…?_

Stephen lifted his head. “Should I stop?” He stilled his hands to show that he would.

G’Kar shook his head. “I am… at your disposal,” he said, his voice a definite measure more husky than it was a few minutes ago. Stephen looked and found the redness of his skin had deepened too, a swelling of the skin that lifted the folds away from the opening they guarded. He felt arousal begin to stir again, low in his belly. It was quite a sight, G’Kar’s legs laying permissively to either side of him, his upper body pillowed so invitingly by the pure white sheets that Stephen wanted to drag his tongue over the thick cords of muscle stretching out under all that rough and beautifully adorned skin. G’Kar’s lips parted around shallow breaths as he stared up at Stephen. He was watching, not instructing, waiting to see what Stephen would do.

He bent down lower. With his hand still occupied on G’Kar’s cock, he licked once, slowly, up beside the opening, and he felt the tensing in G’Kar’s legs. He did it again on the other side, and again, teasing him and noticing the change in taste as he approached the promising slickness that seemed to be pooling inside, slightly bitter and sharp. He probed the tip of his tongue into the slit, and G’Kar stiffened for a moment, before he let out a deep breath as the tension released. Stephen opened his mouth, slipping his tongue in deeper to coat it with that bitterness, and the growl from above grew deep and sonorous, encouraging him onward. He licked upward in a broad stroke, following the slight parting of the skin up to the base of G’Kar’s cock, and farther up until he could slide his tongue between the two heads.

G’Kar let out a shuddering breath, and when Stephen flicked his eyes up, he was rewarded with the sight of him sprawled out with a slack-jawed, faraway look in his eyes. He cupped his cock in his hand and tongued in harder, making the two lengths diverge a little more. G’Kar moaned, and the sound was like honey, sliding in thick and sweet between his ears and down his spine. He swallowed a quiet groan, feeling himself hardening, growing heavy between his kneeling legs as he filled his mouth with the intriguing taste of G’Kar’s arousal. His heartbeat pounding at his temples, he moved his hand lower, massaging gently with one finger on either side of the opening. He wanted very suddenly and _very_ badly to feel the inside of him, to see how he would stretch and tighten around his hand- “May I?” he murmured, trying not to sound over-eager.

G’Kar paused, blinking as he lifted his head to meet Stephen’s gaze as he hovered, his mouth a hair’s breadth from continuing his diligent work. G’Kar’s eyes were heavy-lidded with desire, but there was a glimmer of uncertainty in the way his eyes darted down to Stephen’s hands, and back up. Had he never done this before? It seemed unlikely. Maybe he had been exaggerating his experience, or… maybe his other Human partners had been content to let him do the heavy lifting? There was a definite appeal to that, of course, but now that he’d started, Stephen was eager to see how far he could push his advantage.

G’Kar nodded once, cautiously. “Be careful,” he said.

Stephen looked down at where G’Kar’s hand had come to rest on his thigh. He ran his own fingers over G’Kar’s, so thick and enticingly dangerous, and he chuckled with his realization. “Maybe for a Narn this is awfully kinky, but… you know I don’t have claws.”

“…I’m aware. But you still- you do have nails, and… _bones_ , inside…” he said with a shiver.

“I’ll go slow,” Stephen promised. “A surgeon’s touch, and all.” He cracked a smile, and G’Kar scoffed, leaning his head back.

He slid two fingers in easily, finding an inviting space that, sure enough, divided into two lateral canals. He split his fingers, one down each side, and felt along the ridge, eliciting a heavy groan of pleasure. He couldn’t get deep enough to fit it into the join of his two fingers, so he scissored them together to stimulate the sensitive ridge from either side, and watched as G’Kar’s hips rose to meet his rhythm. Emboldened, he curled his fingers against the tight, muscular walls, and it was like flipping a switch, as G’Kar’s entire body seized, his hand suddenly grabbing at the bed for purchase. “Aah-!” he gasped breathlessly, his eyes wide.

Stephen withdrew his hand. “Did that hurt? Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so-”

“No,” G’Kar said, slapping a hand over his face. “No, you-! Ah-” he hissed out a breath. “Do it again.”

He blinked. “…Oh,” Stephen said, unable to stop a smug grin from creeping onto his lips. “Right.”

G’Kar didn’t look at him as he slid his fingers back inside, his face still hidden behind his hand. Stephen shifted his fingers from side to side, testing at the edges of the opening, and deciding to try going for broke. Staying in the first, wider cavity, he tried adding a third finger as he thrust in shallowly, then his fourth, pleasantly surprised with how readily he opened. G’Kar made a noise.

“Does it feel good?”

“I… am willing to find out.” G’Kar unshielded his face, and it looked nothing at all like the easy, grinning confidence he had been wearing at the start of the night. Affection burst through Stephen’s chest so suddenly that it nearly winded him- _He trusts you. Why does he trust you?_

“Tell me if it’s too much,” Stephen said, trying not to sound too much like he was putting on his bedside manner, although he was. G’Kar nodded, and Stephen probed in a little deeper, feeling little resistance as his fingers began to split down either side, until he was in to the knuckles. He groaned in quiet disbelief, watching his hand disappear inside as he slowly worked his way deeper. 

He curled his fingers again, gently. G’Kar’s entire body arched with the motion, from his flexed toes to his chin tipped back to the ceiling, his frankly endearing apprehension giving way to an absolutely wanton moan. Remembering to pay his due attention, Stephen used his other hand to rub at the seam of his cock, mirroring the motion of his hand rutting up against the ridge inside. G’Kar’s hands tensed and relaxed with his rhythm, slivers of light reflected in the black gloss of his claws. Stephen was mesmerized by the way G’Kar moved with him, pleasure that bloomed through his fingertips rippling out through the whole of his imposing strength. He was surprisingly fluid, for all his mass, and Stephen glimpsed the deeply erotic rise of sinewy lines here and there between the broad planes of muscle as he flexed and shifted and moaned at Stephen’s inquisitive command.

Stephen was getting light-headed, all the blood eagerly rushing to his groin and quite insistent on staying there. He could have ignored it all night just to keep watching G’Kar’s expression, caught between intense pleasure and blissful release, but something seemed to stir behind those blood red eyes. G'Kar lifted his head and they watched each other wordlessly as Stephen massaged him with a slow, steady pressure. There was a growing tenseness in the way G’Kar looked at him, like there was something he was fighting to say, or fighting to not say-

“G’Kar,” Stephen said tentatively, slowing his hand. “Do you… want me to fuck you?”

G’Kar said nothing, but Stephen saw something shift in his expression. “It’s alright if you don’t. We could still do it the other way, if you prefer. I’d- well, I’d love to find out what you feel like in me,” he said, feeling a little bold in his dizzied arousal. “Or, ah. Not at all? I could just keep at it like this, since you seem to… like it,” he said mildly, the wind not so much gone from his sails as blowing in five directions at once. “Or… we could-”

“You want to,” G’Kar said.

Stephen licked his lips. “Only if you do.”

G’Kar’s eyes drifted downward to look appraisingly at the hard length resting between Stephen’s legs. He nodded, a hesitant smile crossing his lips. “Let’s try.”

“There’s that adventuresome spirit,” Stephen grinned, withdrawing his hand as he sat up on his heels. “Do you want to just…” the word _missionary_ probably didn’t mean much to G’Kar. “Like this, or…”

“This?” 

G’Kar turned over, onto this hands and knees, and Stephen gripped his cock to assuage its all-too-sudden aching at the sight. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his spinning head. “I- hhhah, yes, this… works,” he said breathlessly, taking a moment to collect himself.

He ran a hand over the side of G’Kar’s thigh, guiding him into a position best for both of them, and he was surprised - and _intensely_ aroused - by how readily G’Kar accepted his direction, parting his legs and lowering himself to his elbows. There were more scars on his back: another plasma burn, smaller marks that hid well among the spots, and a roughly-sutured cut that might have been surgical, by his lower spine. Maybe G’Kar was older than he had guessed, or maybe he had just seen a lot in his years. There was a lot he wanted to ask, but all the little questions bubbling up inside him were swallowed summarily by the much more urgent question of _what is he going to feel like on your dick?_ Stephen leaned forward to plant a kiss to his shoulder before reaching down, feeling for the opening between G’Kar’s legs. He guided himself inside, letting out a short hiss as he watched the muscular walls part around the head of his cock.

He pushed in until he bumped against the ridge inside, eliciting a sound from G’Kar, who had buried his face into the pillows. Stephen shifted his hips awkwardly, trying to find a good angle, until he felt himself nudging more down one side than the other. He hesitated there. “Are you-”

“Just do it,” G’Kar growled, his voice muffled by fabric. “Please,” he said, after a moment’s pause.

Stephen pushed in, feeling the stretch of the canal to accommodate him, and they both groaned in synchrony. He reminded himself to go slow, stroking his hands over G’Kar’s lower back - rougher even than his front, and Stephen was glad that his more private parts were made of smoother stuff. He thrust in shallowly but steadily, making good contact with his head against the hard dividing ridge. He felt G’Kar shifting under his hands, heard his tense breathing and the sound of the pillows moving as he took him in.

After a moment, G’Kar reached back, gripping his hand on Stephen’s hip. He pulled him closer, and Stephen took his cue, feeling the narrow canal gradually giving way to him. He shuddered, trying to shake himself of the feeling that he was being pulled inward by that mesmerizing, velvety heat, but it persisted, seeming to all but tug on him, guiding him farther in. “You feel so good,” he whispered hoarsely, his hands roaming over his waist and hips as he rocked in and out. “How is it for you?”

“Good,” G’Kar said breathlessly. “Good, you… you feel different…”

“You too,” Stephen murmured. He pulled back, almost slipping out, before thrusting all the way back inside with a single, fluid movement that wrung out a cry from both of them. Stephen leaned forward to wrap an arm around G’Kar’s waist, and he flattened himself against his back, the long line of cartilaginous bumps on his spine pressing into Stephen’s chest. He closed his eyes and pressed his mouth to G’Kar’s shoulder as he fucked into him, picking up his pace. 

His hand spread flat against his pouch, then moved down over the gradually smoother skin until he found himself again at split in G’Kar’s cock, stroking slow, tiny circles into him and making him gasp and arch magnificently back into Stephen’s embrace. He could feel G’Kar’s growls reverberating through the depth of his chest beneath him, and the intoxicating sense of power was matched only by the awe that he was being _allowed_. Cool, rough skin rubbed against his chest, contrasted against the burning heat swallowing him up- and in his arms, a body so heavy and sturdy bent to his touch- they were so close, so close it felt like they would melt into a single, hot smear on the hotel bed, a fuck-drunk mess of skin and spots and sweat and come-

“Ah- could I… I’d like to look at you,” he mumbled, like he had to say it, but was afraid G’Kar would hear him.

G’Kar stayed where he was for a moment as Stephen slowed the pace of his rocking hips, his face still hidden. He turned slowly, like he was unsure of what he’d see when he looked up. His eyes were heavy-lidded, his lips parted by an indecent, panting breath. Stephen pulled out and let him continue, rolling over onto his back. “Like this?”

Stephen got between his legs again, lining himself up as G’Kar’s eyes fixed squarely on him. G’Kar was so red, so wet and willing, and Stephen’s heart pounded like it wanted to punch its way clean out of his chest. He pushed his way back inside, down the other side this time, hypnotized by the look on G’Kar’s face, the brief flutter of his eyelids as his gaze lost focus, the elegant curve of the orbit around his eye catching the light as he tipped his head back. As he began to move again he felt G’Kar sink, his legs spreading an inch wider, and then another, with that needy, clicking purr reverberating out from deep inside like Stephen was fucking the sound out of him, and making all of him shudder as if in reply.

He leaned forward on his hands and knees to kiss G’Kar, one hand cupped against his jaw. G’Kar slung a heavy arm around his neck, sending sparks of pain flying behind Stephen’s eyes as his claws found purchase in his shoulder. His other hand grabbed his waist, pulling him in deep, and Stephen choked out a rough sound against G’Kar’s lips as their hips collided. He felt a slick of fluid where G’Kar’s cock pressed to his abdomen, and they kissed sloppily, their tongues sliding against each other, the scents of their arousal mingling with that of earth and leather, and in a rush of tipsy, adrenalized pleasure it seemed almost perverse to be allowed so close, so suddenly terrifying and exhilarating to find a charming stranger, and in an hour or two let them turn you inside out-

He moaned, jerking his hips in hard and leaning down to bury his face against G’Kar’s collar and chest, kissing aimlessly into his embrace, knowing he only had so much time left in the moment. His cock felt molten and full to bursting, and heat filled him up, oozing out of him slick and salty and licking flames up his spine until it burned in the base of his skull. “G’Kar,” he gasped, “I’m close…”

G’Kar’s hands tightened on him, taking him painfully close. “Stephen,” he murmured, the sound blurring into the rumble of his chest against Stephen’s ear.

He buried himself in deep and came in a shaky burst, his legs giving out underneath him as he spilled himself into G’Kar and all the tension swept out of him in a wave. G’Kar bucked up against him, his legs bracketing his hips and holding him steadily until he collapsed against him. He dragged air into his lungs like he was breathing for the first time, reeling in a dazed aftershock of release. G’Kar let him lay there, riding the slow, steady swell of his chest as he breathed deep, the purring growl fading away as his hands moved over his back and seemed to cover all of him in their broad, sweeping strokes.

He lay splayed out just long enough to let his soul reenter his body before he lifted his head. He found G’Kar laying with his eyes closed restfully, facing the ceiling. He didn’t look asleep, just unfairly composed, where Stephen was certain that he looked absolutely well-fucked, pupils blown wide, hair damp against his scalp, his whole body shining with sweat. But G’Kar lay there, the only visible signs of their coupling the few places where Stephen had managed to bite hard enough to leave a bruise a shade darker than his skin. He was beautiful. Stephen was flooded with an urge to smother him with kisses, all over the strong, bony edges of his face and jaw, but a dull ache in his chest told him to rein it in.

He pushed himself up onto one elbow, lifting his hips to pull out of G’Kar with a groan. He rolled onto his side, his hand reaching down toward G’Kar’s groin. Not finding what he expected, he looked down and saw G’Kar’s cock retreating back into its sheath, the two heads furling inward to rest within the smooth skin. “Oh,” he said. “Did I… wait, did you already-”

G’Kar laughed, opening his eyes and reaching up to run a hand along Stephen’s jaw. “I’m perfectly content.”

Stephen chewed his lip. “Sorry. Just doesn’t seem fair, I mean, I got off twice…”

“I enjoyed both occasions.” G’Kar smiled. It didn’t seem at all disingenuous, this time, and it sent a fluttering feeling through Stephen’s chest.

“Okay. If you say so,” he said, not fully convinced. He pressed a kiss to G’Kar’s shoulder before sitting up with a grunt, looking down at himself. “I should wash up.”

“Mm. I’ll be here.”

He stood, and glanced back at G’Kar, who straightened his legs as he propped himself up against the headboard. G’Kar stretched his arms out wide, before slumping back comfortably, his hands settled neatly in his lap as he stretched out his long, three-clawed feet and wiggled them side to side. It was… adorable? 

Then he let out a great yawn that showed all his teeth, and a glimpse of the ridged roof of his mouth was all it took for Stephen to shake himself out of it, heading into the bathroom for a brisk shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally started this chapter with a much more serious conversation and then I was like wait............... this is porn
> 
> in a similar vein........ look, I'm aware that g'kar/andreas katsulas is not _that_ much bigger/taller than anybody else on the actual cast but please just let me live


	3. Chapter 3

G’Kar was sitting in one of the chairs with his tunic back on and tied around his waist, inspecting the bottles of liquor pensively. He looked up and gave Stephen an unsubtle once-over as he emerged from the bathroom freshly washed and toweled dry, which made Stephen laugh and roll his eyes. He collected his underwear and slipped it back on. After thinking for a moment, he put his t-shirt back on too - it seemed only polite to approximate G'Kar's level of undress.

It was too late for another drink to be a good idea - especially since they would be boarding a gravityless ship in less than five hours, and hyperspace always made him a little queasy. He filled his glass with water, watching as G’Kar poured himself a little of the scotch that Stephen had been drinking. He made a face as he sniffed it.

“It’s an acquired taste,” Stephen said wryly, sitting down at the table.

“Indeed. But I find myself rather susceptible to acquiring new ones," he said, smiling flirtatiously.

"Apparently," Stephen snorted as he pulled a foot up onto the chair, hugging his knee to his chest. G’Kar leaned back with an arm slung loosely over the back of his chair, holding the glass up under his nose and sliding his drink around from side to side. He looked like some interstellar scotch ad, with his tunic open half-way down his chest and his strongest features highlighted in profile by the floor lamp behind him. Stephen filed the visual away for later. “Can I ask you something?”

“If you like.”

“Why are _you_ here?" If G'Kar had eyebrows, Stephen was sure he would've raised one. "I mean, on the mission. You didn’t need to set up this meeting with the Minbari.”

“We Narns are in an ideal position for third party mediation.”

“But Narn doesn’t gain anything.”

“On the contrary. We are trying to sell guns to your navy. We have something of an interest in keeping the value of your currency afloat,” he said with a smirk, taking a sip of the scotch and licking his lips thoughtfully. “And perhaps an indebted Earth would prove itself useful down the line.”

“That’s all?” he prodded. “Why you? You’re risking your own life to come along with us.”

“A chance to practice my Adronato,” he suggested.

“Uh-huh. Really interested in Minbari culture?”

“They are a storied people,” G’Kar said unconvincingly. “Deeply religious and academic. Much to learn.”

“I’m sure.” Stephen shook his head. Fine, if he was going to be stubborn about it. “Not that we’ll get a chance.”

“You may yet.”

“Tsch. I doubt they’ll let us into their libraries anytime soon. They’re trying to exterminate us. And it just seems like they want to prove they can, at this point.”

“Indeed," G'Kar allowed. "One would consider the point well made, by now. It is something of a surprise. They have usually preferred to keep their distance from us lesser species,” he said dryly. “Even in an hour of dire need.”

Stephen leaned forward. “Ah, is that it, then? A chance to poke back at them for not intervening in the occupation?”

“Then my grievance would lay equally with Earth,” G’Kar said, his expression suddenly quite closed. Stephen stiffened, his foot dropping to the floor. “Or had you forgot that your people allied themselves with those that enslaved mine for a century?

“I… no. I didn’t forget,” Stephen said gingerly. “But if that’s the case… why bother with either of us?”

“Why indeed. You know, perhaps I did expect a little shame, come to think of it,” G’Kar said coolly. “A little remorse? Especially when your friends, those same Centauri, have proven themselves quite content to watch your world burn in the meanwhile.” G’Kar’s expression evened, and he looked at Stephen with a curious frown. “But do you think it would warm me, to watch your species disappear? That is no justice for me, or for the millions dead on my world.”

“No, I… expect not.” He let his hands fall into his lap, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. What had he wanted to hear him say? That he was a good man? Or, perhaps, that he wasn’t? A justification, in some direction, it didn’t matter which- “Sorry.” Stephen looked down at his glass. “I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s no matter,” G'Kar sighed. “Whatever the result of our negotiations, the Minbari will do a better job of extracting a little humility from your generals than we ever would. And as for my people… well, I believe an apology is rather embedded in the price we are commanding. We have little to lose to your world, and much to gain.”

Stephen nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Ah-! Speaking of which, I nearly forgot. I am obligated to present you with a little offer from the Homeworld,” G’Kar said, his expression brightening with the change in subject.

Stephen arched an eyebrow. “Obligated?”

G’Kar tilted his head. “The obligation interests you more than the offer? Hm. In any case, as a representative of the Kha’Ri, I am to inform you that the Homeworld is always open to the employment of skilled hands. We are, in fact, especially welcoming of medical workers. Even if you have limited experience with our biology, I expect there would be a great deal of work on a more administrative level.”

Stephen barked out a laugh. “So you’re a headhunter too?”

“I am no such thing-”

“It means… like a recruiter,” Stephen chuckled at G’Kar’s indignant expression. “Sorry, go on.”

“I see. In that case, yes. An offer of work is on the table. And as for its terms, we can be quite accommodating: permanent, seasonal, paid in credit or accommodation and academic access... whatever suits you best. Consider it at your leisure. I would be happy to leave some contact information with you, for someone in the Central Clinic.”

“I do like to travel, but…” He frowned. “Wait. Is that why-? When I said I’d been hitchhiking, and you were suddenly interested, did you just-”

It was G’Kar’s turn to laugh. “Stephen, I do not lay with every Human who is invited to Homeworld. If I did… well...” He made a thoughtful face. “No, nevermind-” He waved the thought away. “You see, I will be extending a similar offer to Commander Sheridan tomorrow. As a contingency, in the event that our little sojourn does not successfully resolve the war. I am merely presenting the option to you both.”

Stephen folded his arms. “Thanks. But I prefer to keep my options a little more open than getting stuck planetside. No offense - it's just that I'd like to work with a lot of species. I've always been most interested in the comparative aspect."

G'Kar nodded in understanding. "A pity, for us," he said with a winsome smile that made Stephen almost want to say yes just for the hell of it.

"I mean, if we make it out of all this," he waved a hand vaguely. "Who knows, maybe I'll need to reconsider. I might get blacklisted from work in Earth Alliance anyway."

“Ah, yes,” G’Kar said thoughtfully. “I had meant to ask - not that it would affect the offer, so please only answer if you feel inclined - but what was the nature of your crime? It did not disqualify you immediately from service, and you are not so disloyal as to refuse a mission, even at great risk to yourself…”

“No crime,” Stephen said, crinkling his nose. “Sorry to disappoint. I had notes on the Minbari, from when I was traveling. Autopsy, broad strokes writeup. Force wanted the scans for god knows what, exactly. Biological weapons research of some kind.” He shook his head with disgust. “They ordered me to turn over all my notes. I’d already destroyed them.”

“How... noble,” G’Kar said airily.

Stephen squinted. “You think it’s stupid.”

“To throw away a weapon while fighting a war?” G’Kar rubbed a finger along the rim of his glass. "Why would I think that?"

He shrugged. “You could see it that way. But I’m not fighting. I save lives.”

“Your enemies don’t appear as considerate.”

“I don’t need them to be,” he said defiantly. “I won’t be part of any weapons development. It’s not about what some hypothetical Minbari doctor would do, if our places were reversed. I don’t care about what their conscience says. I care about my own. The Minbari want to wipe us out. Well, how are we any better if we try to do the same?”

“I would leave such contemplation to those that succeed you,” G’Kar said mildly, inspecting his claws. “My people did not aim to be _better_ than the Centauri as we fought for our liberation. We merely hoped to survive them. As for our nature, our violence and morality all shaped by a century of struggle - well, now we have the rest of our freedom in which to philosophize."

Stephen sighed, somewhat annoyed with his inability to moralize harder without crossing into the territory of being decidedly rude. “And do you? Philosophize, I mean.”

“All too often for the likings of certain colleagues,” G’Kar smiled. “It is something of an inheritance.”

“Your family?”

“My faith.”

“Oh?” Stephen leaned forward, all of a sudden interested again.

“The Followers of G’Quan are known for their tendency to apply his insights where some… others,” G’Kar said, diplomatically, “would not necessarily find them relevant.”

Stephen laughed, setting his chin on his hand. “And what would G’Quan have to say about this?”

“Our mission? Mm. It could easily be read as _kamh_. A confluence of forces, momentarily aligned - a window in time, or in space, or in heart...” He tilted his glass on an edge, holding it carefully between his index and thumb so that it nearly balanced. “A moment where one push could be multiplicative.” He nudged the glass so that it rocked back upright, landing on its base with a thud, and the scotch swished back with it. Maybe that was it all along, Stephen thought - just a chance to exert his influence.

"One's efforts may be wasted, pushing against the strength of the universe's momentum. Luckily, G’Quan taught us patience. It took a few centuries to learn,” G’Kar sighed wistfully, and Stephen wondered, fleetingly, at all the centuries of history hidden in that sigh. “But when the moons align, all those on the world experience a great tide. For better or for worse.”

“Earth only has one moon,” Stephen chuckled. “But I take your point. Strike while the iron’s hot, and all that.”

“Opportunities are gifts. I tend to accept them,” G’Kar said, the creases around his eyes deepening as he grinned.

“So I’ve gathered.” He smiled back.

They looked at each other for a long, lingering moment. A little too long. Stephen broke first, drinking down the rest of his water before standing up, stretching out his arms overhead as he crossed the room to the bed. 

He picked up the comforter from where it lay in a messy pile at the foot of the bed and draped it back over the mattress before sitting down. He’d left his Link in his own room, so he tabbed through the menu on the display embedded in the headboard until he found the alarm, and set it for four hours ahead. He felt G’Kar watching him, but figured he would join once he was through with his drink. He pulled his feet up onto the bed and slid them in under the bedsheets as he reached over and fluffed up the pillows. 

“Well, I don't know about you,” he said meaningfully, feeling the distinct tug of sleepiness as he leaned onto his side, “but I’d better get some sleep or I’ll feel like real shit on takeoff.”

“Indeed.” G’Kar sounded a little distant. Stephen lifted his head and found him staring from where he sat at the table, his glass quite empty.

“What is it? You need more room? I can go next to the wall.”

G’Kar blinked, and cleared his throat. “Beds are... rather uncomfortable for a Narn physique. We tend to sleep on the floor.”

“Oh,” Stephen said, looking down beside the bed. There was ample enough room for them to both spread out comfortably, if they pushed the table over a little. “Well, I don't mind. I suppose we’ll be wanting some of the bedding in that case.” When he was traveling, he’d made do with much worse impromptu lodgings than the softly carpeted floor of a hotel room. And besides, maybe the floor would be just the thing to fix the crick in his neck. He started gathering up the comforter in his arms.

When he looked up, G’Kar was still staring at him. Not upset or confused, but simply… perplexed. As if there was something he needed to ask and he was trying to decide how.

Something clicked. 

“Oh. Shit.” He bolted upright, the blood draining from his face.

The way G’Kar looked at him became, suddenly, like a laser burning holes into him, and he scrambled out of the bed, rushing to pick his clothes up from the floor. “ _Shit_. I uh, I always- I have a tendency to overstay my welcome.” He forced a smile and tried to sound offhand, but his face was burning and his voice had gone tight. He shook out his pants and stepped into them, then remembered his socks. “Damn it- I- ugh. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize,” G’Kar said, coming to his side. “And I don’t mean to embarrass you-”

“No need," he said self-deprecatingly. "I took care of that myself.” He picked up his button-up, shouldering into it clumsily and getting caught on a twisted sleeve.

“Stephen…” G’Kar put a hand on his shoulder to slow him down. Stephen clenched his jaw. He tried to think of anything other than the fact that he had just started to imagine what it would be like to have G’Kar spoon up behind him, how comfortable and secure it would feel to lay wrapped up in his arms under the sheets and fall soundly asleep there.

“I’m sorry if I misread the implications of our arrangement,” G’Kar said carefully. “Please don’t take it as an indication of my satisfaction. I’ve enjoyed your company. If you would prefer to stay and… perhaps sleep on the bed while I-”

Stephen laughed nervously, shifting out from under G’Kar’s touch to put his shirt on the right way around. “No, please, I… understand perfectly. It was my mistake to presume. It’s fine, really, fine. I just read it the wrong way. Not that- not that you gave me reason to- it’s more- I just… ugh, fuck.” 

He stood there, messily dressed, rubbing his hand over his face. He took a deep breath before lifting his eyes to meet G'Kar's. “Look, I had fun. It was a good night. I really don’t want to ruin it with this, so let’s just… pretend I was on my way, anyway.” He zipped up his fly, buckled his belt, and reached for his jacket.

G’Kar frowned, looking like he was going to make another attempt to assuage him, but his hands dropped to his sides and he let Stephen finish dressing himself.

He headed out, trying not to make more eye contact than he needed to. But G’Kar stopped him before he could make it to the door, putting a hand on his upper arm. The expression in his eyes was… a little hopeful? Or maybe he just meant to be apologetic. G’Kar lifted his hand to Stephen’s jaw and kissed him, the taste of scotch still on his lips. Stephen tried not to move, tried to only lean into the touch as much as was appropriate, letting his lips brush gently against G’Kar’s. It was chaste, compared to the night that preceded it, and Stephen tried to hold on to the little bloom of warmth in his mouth.

G’Kar pulled away, their noses still pressed together. With his eyes closed, Stephen breathed in the earthy scent of him - his last chance to do so. “I… meant to ask you earlier,” he ventured. “What’s the Narn equivalent of a kiss?”

G’Kar chuckled. He lifted a finger and turned Stephen’s head with a slight press on his chin. He leaned close and pressed his face to Stephen’s, the hard ridge of his cheekbone against Stephen’s less substantial one in a rough-skinned little nuzzle.

“Oh.” Stephen touched his fingertips to his cheek as they parted. “Thank you.”

G'Kar gave him one last look-over, his eyes tracing out the shape of his face. He inclined his head. “I’ll see you in the morning, doctor.”

Stephen nodded back. He pushed the handle and let himself out of the room. 

Out in the hallway, he turned back. G’Kar opened his mouth to speak, but he seemed to think better of it. After a pause he said, with a wry smile, “Another time, perhaps.”

Stephen chuckled. Now he was just being polite. This meeting had been all but chance. An opportunity well seized. He wasn’t sure about G’Kar, but to ask for another seemed like tempting fate. “Sure,” he said, noticing the way G’Kar’s eyes lingered on his lips. “Another time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 I wonder if they'll get another chance to get to know each other better... someday...
> 
> hope you enjoyed this porn sandwich with too much talking. I don't know if I _quite_ captured the younger versions of these two, but it was fun to consider. if you're a BREAKWATER reader, I re-found my footing in the newest couple chapters recently so that should be updating pretty soon too. either way thanks for reading~


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